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Friday, October 22, 2010

Memoir Monday - Week 1

Hi All - I'm finally doing it! I'm starting a memoir of all those special childhood memories I want to share with my grandchildren. Not that I'm in a hurry to have grandchildren - no, no, no! But, I am getting prepared. Of course, I start shopping for Christmas in July, so you get the idea.

Anyway, won't you join me? Post your responses weekly to the memoir questions, and you too can assemble a set of memories for your children and grandchildren to cherish for years to come. Of course, if assembling isn't your thing, then just join as we enjoy the walk down memory lane. Here are this week's questions:

Are there any family heirlooms in your possession? Tell about them and how you came to acquire them.

Between the ages of 5 and 10, what was your favorite activity?

Here are my Week 1 answers - post yours, then come on back and link up:

Are there any family heirlooms in your possession? Tell about them and how you came to acquire them.

I don’t have anything expensive that has been handed down from generation to generation; however, I do have a few small items that have been given to me by my grandmothers that mean a great deal.

The first is a teddy bear I received when my maternal grandmother passed away. She was 82 at the time, and I was 14. This teddy bear had been in her bedroom all the time that I knew her. I had always loved it. When she passed, it was given to me. It was the Teddy she had as a little girl. I used to keep it on a shelf until my husband went to tuck in the boys one night and offered to let them sleep with it. Yikes! Now, he’s protected in a plastic cube in my closet.

The second cherished item I have is a doll from my paternal grandmother. She is my hero. At 96, she’s still sharp mentally and leading the family. She gave it to me several years ago. It means a lot to have the childhood dolls from both my grandmothers. This is also a doll she had as a little girl. The clothes are newer, but the doll is the original.

Finally, that same grandmother gave me a reverse painting given to her on her wedding day in 1934 by a friend of hers. I think it is absolutely beautiful. This memento reminds me of the longevity of my grandparents marriage (76 years), and how important it is to have a strong marriage to hold a family together.

Unfortunately, I won’t have a doll to pass down to my children. I was never the doll type. I hope they’ll take with them lots of wonderful memories of times spent together.

2. Between the ages of 5 and 10, what was your favorite activity?

Between the ages of five and ten, I lived on my bicycle. It had a squishy banana seat and tassels hanging off the handlebars. Back in the day (yikes, I’m getting old!), kids left home in the morning, dropped in for lunch, and showed back up around dinner time. I took my bike everywhere. Places I know my parents didn’t know I was going. They had their boundaries, and I was always one who didn’t like to be limited by imaginary lines. Eventually, my bike would take me to school and back, to friends and back, to the ball fields and back, and even to the edges of town (yep, that’s where I wasn’t supposed to be). Sadly, my kids don’t get that kind of freedom. How can one generation make such a difference?